Manage Your Career Expectations With this 80/20 Rule
Only 20% of your work may be glamorous or exciting, but yields 80% of job satisfaction
Even in a job you love there will be parts that are tedious. Find a career you're so passionate about that the good outweighs the bad.
Whenever I have a conversation with a mentee who’s job hunting, I always talk to them about managing their expectations with the 80/20 rule. Even if you find a great job where you’re 80% satisfied, that satisfaction usually stems from only 20% of the work you do.
The most exciting and satisfying parts of a job only happen 20% of the time, and the other 80% can be mundane or tedious. So when you’re job hunting, make sure you find something that fits you so well, the 20% is satisfying enough to outweigh the mundane 80%.
The Pareto Principle
This 80/20 rule comes from something called the Pareto Principle. It is based on the concept that “approximately 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.” It’s been applied in a myriad of ways:
- 80% of wealth is owned by 20% of the population
- 20% of the clients provide 80% of the revenues
